Photo credit: Gloucester County
Red Bank Battlefield will host candlelight tours of the Whitall House. Come and enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas in the Colonial era.
Details: Whitall House Candlelight Tours
Where: Red Bank Battlefield, National Park
When:
- Friday, December 2 from 6pm-9pm
- Saturday, December 3 from 3pm-9pm
- Sunday, December 4 from 4pm-7pm
Rain Date: Rain or Shine
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Cost: Free Admission
History of the Whithall House (Credit: Glouceter County)
In 1748, Quakers Ann and James Whitall established a 400-acre plantation at Red Bank along the Delaware River.
This bustling plantation included:
- Fruit Orchards
- Lumberyard
- Shad Fishery
- Livestock
- Ferry
Together, Ann and James raised nine children who worked the plantation alongside dozens of indentured servants hailing from Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany.
American Revolution
In 1777, the American Revolution interrupted life at Red Bank when American forces constructed Fort Mercer immediately north of the house.
On October 22, 1777, Colonel Christopher Green’s Rhode Island Regiment inflicted heavy losses on Hessian soldiers and the Whitall’s home served as a field hospital.
Hundreds of Hessian soldiers lost their lives in the battle and were buried just north of the house.
The Whitalls never forgave the American forces for the devastation they inflicted on their beloved property.